Gaming’s Coolest Dragons

Dragons are some of the most beautiful but deadly creatures in mythology. It’s almost impossible to look back into old folklore and not find some sort of tale involving a large reptilian creature with wings and the ability to breathe fire. Thanks to the popularization of Dungeons & Dragons, these beasts have been included in almost every role playing game imaginable. Much like the differences in cultural imagery for Dragons, these games and other media have created many of their own versions of these beasts. For me to be really impressed with a Dragon, not only does it have to look just right but, it also has to have a sense of majesty and power. I thought I’d take some time and share some of my favorites throughout my gaming experience.

Persona 3 immediately became one of my favorite RPG’s once I finally got around to playing it. The character interaction and sheer weirdness that were the persona’s themselves had me hooked; not to mention the terrific story! It wasn’t until late in the game when I could summon him, but as soon as I could, he became one of my most reliable warriors. The black Dragon Seth was a persona I kept around constantly and was only without his help for mere minutes while I fused his abilities into a better configuration. Knowing that his awesome-ness returns in Persona 4, you can bet he’ll be making a comeback!

Easily my favorite Dragon in gaming is the one that started my love for the mysterious black Dragon. I of course refer to Final Fantasy’s Bahamut. I hate to admit that my first glimpse of the King of Dragons came in the form of the seventh entry. From his first form to the newly added Neo and Zero forms, Bahamut oozed power and fear and I loved him for it! Having now experienced earlier entries, my admiration for Bahamut has only grown. I have yet to play Final Fantasy 13 but I have a feeling that I’m not going to be cool with him being a transformer now. Weird, isn’t it?

Elder Scrolls Oblivion was and still is a fantastic piece of video game art. From the stand alone game to its mod-able brother on the PC, there was nothing at all about that game I did not enjoy. Nothing could have prepared me for the epic conclusion. All that time protecting Martin Septim, heir to the throne, from the forces of Mehrunes Dagon and he ends up shedding his mortal form and becomes the living avatar of Akatosh. Did not see that coming! The two giants duke it out while your character watches in disbelief. Even after it was over I just stood there, taking it all in.

Speaking of Elder Scrolls, isn’t there a Dragon or two in the newest game? Oh wait… the whole game is about Dragons! Now this section is based off of pure speculation only because I am still playing the game and have yet to face the mighty Alduin. From the very beginning of Skyrim’s existence, I’ve been captivated by Alduin’s very design. Sleek, sinister, and pointy as hell, the folks at Bathesda certainly know how to make a beautiful Dragon. I eagerly await the moment when I face him shout to mace and sword!

The final beastie I want to talk about did not start in video games but has appeared in quite a few because of the success of his film career. King Ghidorah has fought against Godzilla, King of the Monsters, numerous times and has followed Godzilla to nearly every game based off of the movies. King Ghidorah is in essence the very opposite of Godzilla. His first appearances had him being from the depths of space and usually controlled by an invading alien army while Godzilla was more a force of nature and fought to protect his home. King Ghidorah shares the traits of a Dragon with the mythological Hydra which is usually a serpentine creature with multiple heads. Instead of the traditional fire breath, Ghidorah switches flames for lightning like gravity beams. Okay, so he may not actually be a Dragon by definition, but he’s really close, and really cool!

Gaming design and graphics are only getting better. If Skyrim is any indication of what gaming universes can do for Dragons, they’re only going to get cooler and more beautiful!

Author

I’ve been playing games since the Atari 2600 was around! When I’m not playing something I’m usually being playfully attacked by my parrots. Favorite game series is easily the Mega Man series. I also enjoy rocking-out to Metal bands such as Hammerfall and Rhapsody of Fire.